Fluid stripping apparatuses including a flexible inflatable bag mounted about an opening of an air duct or plenum and having a nozzle at the opposite end thereof provide an effective means for removing fluid from a vehicle, while also providing an energy efficient alternative to the prior art. The bag is flexible so as to pivot about a hinging point upon contact by the passing vehicle as the nozzle engages the vehicle surface. The hinging action is modified by selectively varying the cross-sectional area of the bag at the hinging point; that is, if the area is made smaller, then the bag will be pivotted about the hinging point by a lesser degree of applied force.
The U.S. patent application Ser. No. 338,577 filed Jan. 8, 1982 teaches a means for varying the hinging action of the bag by providing a clamp about the bag at the hinging point. The clamp disclosed therein includes adjustable seating means requiring disassembly of the clamping frame for adjustment thereof. A second clamping configuration, disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 378,957 (P-308) filed May 17, 1982 in which applicant is named as a co-inventor, is adapted to be used to control the hinging action of a secondary bag mounted on a primary bag. The disclosed assembly utilizes straps connected to the primary bag for retaining a clamping assembly against the hinging point of the secondary bag. Neither of the aforementioned patents discloses a hinging clamp including a pair of retaining rods extending the length of the bag about the plenum opening and a third hinging control rod and means for adjustably connecting the hinging control rod to one of the retaining rods so as to clamp the bag therebetween as the hinging control rod is retained against the outer surface of the seating means, the seating means retaining the retaining rods about the bag. Consequently, the hinging action of the bag which is directly connected to the plenum, can be adjusted during the operation of the assembly by adjustment of the connecting members without disassembling the bag from the plenum.